We All Make Our Mistakes
by The Most Humble Bee
Summary: An evil plot is brewing within Camelot and only Merlin and Morgana know of it. Can they stop it in time and save the kingdom? Or will Merlin's secret be revealed and endanger the young warlock? Friendships are challenged and feelings are discovered as Merlin, Arthur, and (from the background) Morgana fight the evil who plans to destroy their kingdom.
1. Chapter 1

She first appeared in Camelot when King Uther hosted a feast to celebrate the defeat of a dangerous shape-shifting beast that he claimed his son slaughtered. (But we all know it was really Merlin who did so.) The beautiful, cloaked woman who had introduced herself to the King as Lady Eris, eldest daughter of the late Lord Cronus. She said that her home and family had been taken from her by raiders and bandits and she had barely made it out alive. The King had taken pity on her and allowed her to stay in Camelot for as long as she needed.

Merlin didn't like her in the least.

Lady Eris had been staying with them for three months now and somehow charmed the hearts of a majority of Camelot's population. Especially of one Arthur Pendragon. Merlin noticed how the two seemed to spend a lot of time together, sharing secret affectionate smiles when every they were near one another. The sight made him sick. Not wanting a replay of the Sofia incident, the manservant had gone out of his way to search her rooms. Unfortunately, he found nothing suspicious.

Anyway, Uther was hosting another celebration to welcome the arrival of a king from a neighboring land who wished to become an ally of Camelot. Merlin was forced to serve, not only Arthur, but also all of the other lords and ladies who were attending. So, as Merlin stood all the way across the room, pouring Leon some more wine, he watched with narrow eyes as Arthur and Lady Eris whispered words into each other's ears, giggling and blushing at their comments. The manservant's hands gripped the wine bottle tightly and he didn't realize that the cup had overflowed.

"Merlin," Leon muttered, though loud enough to hear over the music. "I believe that's plenty of wine."

The manservant stopped pouring and looked down at the purple puddle that had formed on the table. "Oh! My apologies, Leon," he said, hastily finding a rag to soak up the spilled beverage.

The knight looked at him with a raised brow. "You seem distracted tonight," he noticed. "Well... more distracted than usual."

Merlin's ears burned and his eyes cast downwards in embarrassment. "I-I suppose I'm just overwhelmed with the task of serving everyone," he lied blatantly.

Leon looked at him, unconvinced, but decided not to pry. Merlin tried one of his signature goofy grins in reassurance before walking off to serve Morgana who had beckoned him over. When he got to her, she pushed her cup to him.

"I don't like her," she whispered.

"Excuse me, milady? Who do you mean?" Merlin inquired, pausing in his pouring.

"Lady Eris. I don't like her and I never have. And I know you dislike her as well," she accused. "Everyone seems to be so taken with her but you and I. Even Gwen has succumbed to her charms."

Merlin bit his lip. It was true, he did not like Lady Eris very much. She may be beautiful with her wavy auburn hair and brilliant emerald eyes, kind to everyone regardless of their rank, and has a voice as lovely and delicate as a prose sung by a seraph of heaven. Merlin knew that there had to be some ulterior motive, some dark, secret plan. But he had no evidence. Morgana drew him nearer.

"I had a dream, Merlin. And Eris was in it like Sofia had been. But this time, it was worse," her eyes were wide and afraid.

"What? What happened?" the manservant urged.

"She... she watched as Camelot burned. And Arthur," she choked. "He laid dead at her feet. Merlin, it felt so real. I-"

"Shh, it's alright," Merlin cooed, trying to keep her quiet as to keep unwanted attention away. "When did you have this dream?"

"The night before she arrived," Morgana answered. "It's been haunting my sleep ever since."

The manservant frowned but paused when he saw how terrified the girl was. He plastered on a reassuring grin and took her hand, squeezing it gently.

"I'll talk to Gaius about this, don't you worry, milady. Please do not dwell too much about what might happen and relax," he said softly, earning a nervous smile in return.

They parted and the night went on, soon everyone left much later either sober enough to walk or inebriated to the point of unconsciousness. Merlin was dismissed for the night by a slightly drunk Arthur with a blushing Lady Eris linked to his arm. He tried his hardest to not snap out a snarky remark and instead bowed before leaving for Gaius's tower.

He entered the room, slamming the door behind him in frustration.

"Merlin!" the old physician exclaimed in surprise.

The young sorcerer flinched at his tone, ducking his head in shame. "Sorry..." he muttered.

Gaius sighed, shaking his head. "It's alright," he forgave. "Now... are you going to tell me why you decided to violently shut my door?"

Merlin refused to look up and instead chose to stare at his boots. "I think I'd rather not," he said quietly and then found enough courage to lift his head. "But, um, there is something else that I'd like to talk about."

"And that would be?"

"Morgana."

Gaius stiffened, but nodded. Merlin took that as his cue to continue. "She told me earlier that she had a dream the night before Lady Eris arrived. The dream included the burning of Camelot and Arthur laying dead at Eris's feet," he explained, expression serious.

The physician frowned. "What motive would she have to destroy the kingdom? She is quite an innocent girl."

Merlin felt something twist down in his lower abdomen. "Have you forgotten that Morgana may be a Seer? Also, Eris could very well be deceiving you!"

Gaius shook his head. "I'm sorry, Merlin. But I just can't believe that Lady Eris has evil intentions."

The young sorcerer felt anger pool in his stomach. "Fine then, don't believe me! I don't even care about the fate of Camelot, anyway!" he shouted in frustration and stormed into his room, slamming the door again.

"You're being childish, Merlin!" Gaius called after him.

The next morning was a cloudy one. No blue sky nor blinding sun was visible in the ever gray sky. But it wasn't as if Merlin cared. In fact, he was very sure that if he were to see the sun now, he'd vomit. He barely spoke to anyone that morn. Even his usual remarks to Arthur were absent and he did his duties in a sullen silence. Arthur, of course, didn't seem to notice his different behavior and used it as an opportunity to talk about how wonderful Eris was. Each statement that was uttered was like a stab to the heart and Merlin wanted to scream at him and tell him that he thought Eris was evil; to tell him that he has magic and that he-No. He couldn't do any of those. He was a coward.

"-I mean, I don't know how anyone could not like Eris," Arthur claimed, interrupting his manservant's thoughts.

Merlin resisted a snort. He knew how one could dislike her. The manservant scurried across the room to polish the prince's boots before he could say anything he would regret.

"What do you think of Eris, Merlin?" Arthur inquired, looking over to his manservant.

Merlin froze for a moment, the brush resting on the leather boot as he swallowed the lump in his throat. "She's... lovely, sire," he lied, returning to his polishing.

Arthur seemed satisfied with that answer and continued to pace around the room as he talked. "Yes, she'd make a wonderful consort, wouldn't she?"

Merlin's chest tightened and he stopped again, looking up and into the hearth. "So you plan on marrying her, then?" he asked, hands trembling.

He could hear the prince's smile in his voice as he said fondly, "yes. I suppose I might."

The manservant dropped the polishing brush and boot, causing Arthur to look at him in surprise. Wish a muttered excuse, he hastily left the room. Merlin shouldn't be acting this way, he knew that much. Arthur finally found someone that made him happy and he shouldn't go around and spoil his mood. And yet his heart ached at the thought of his prince being with another, but he didn't dwell too much on the feeling.

Merlin had made it all the way to the courtyard, breathing in the chill air, before he finally found the fortitude to return to Arthur's chambers. He walked back into the castle with stinging eyes when he bumped into Lady Eris herself. He clenched his teeth and bowed slightly, uttering an apology. Eris smiled politely at him and lifted his chin.

"It's quite alright, there's no need to apologize when no one got hurt," she said with a tinkle of a laugh.

Merlin resented the sound. He nodded to her before stepping back and turning to leave. But before he could take another step, Eris stopped him.

"Merlin, correct?" she asked, a smile still on her face.

The manservant nodded. Eris laughed lightly before yanking down on his neckerchief so that they were at a close proximity.

"I can see that you suspect me of being someone evil, who would dare to hurt your precious prince and kingdom," she stroked the side of his face and her eyes glowed. "And I have to say; I'm impressed by your revelation. If you weren't in love with the prince, you, too, would have been caught under my spell. You have your envy to thank for that."

Merlin glared at her. "I'll tell him. I'll tell everyone that you're a liar. I'll tell the king that you're planning to destroy Camelot," he spat.

Eris chuckled diabolically. "Do you really think that they'll believe you? After I've gained so much of their trust in these few months? I'll tell them you're a sorcerer and they'll have your head."

Merlin struggled against her grip. Eris's eyes glowed brighter and suddenly, the air grew thin and he couldn't breathe. He choked and spluttered, trying to get away as he fell to the floor, gasping for air. Eris simply watched with a sinister grin, walking up to him slowly and crouching down to his level.

"If you try anything with your magic to stop me from destroying this kingdom, I'll kill Arthur, and then I 'll kill you," she said simply, standing up and walking off as Merlin succumbed to unconsciousness.

x


	2. Chapter 2

Merlin slowly opened his eyes and saw the familiar ceiling of Gaius's tower. His throat was sore and it hurt to breathe. He coughed and rolled on his side, finding Gaius at his work bench.

"Merlin, you're awake," he acknowledged. "Here, drink this."

The physician walked to him with a cup of something foul smelling. Merlin accepted the concoction and gulped it down quickly. He grimaced at the taste before setting it down on the table beside him.

"Thanks, Gaius," he said, rubbing at his throat subconsciously.

The old physician pulled up a stool and sat beside him. "Would you like to tell me why you were carried here, _not breathing_ , by a very concerned prince?"

Merlin's heart seemed to flutter at Arthur's apparent worry for him before he bit his lip as he recalled what had happened. "I was choked by Eris. She was using magic and she threatened to kill Arthur and I if I tried to stop her from destroying Camelot!" he said urgently. "Gaius, we have to do something."

The physician frowned. "I believe you're mistaken. It was Lady Eris who found you and went to get Arthur. Maybe that was all a dream," he said gently, placing a concerned hand on the boy's shoulder.

Merlin felt anger and frustration boil within him. He knew that it hadn't been a dream, how could Gaius be so blind? He pulled away and stormed out of the tower. He needed to find someone who would believe him. And he knew _exactly_ who that'd be.

Merlin knocked on Morgana's door hastily, hearing footsteps and a lock opening before she entrance was unlocked. She revealed herself with a worried expression. Quickly, she beckoned him inside.

"Are you alright?" she asked after shutting the door. "I heard about what happened from Gwen."

"Actually, I'm not," the manservant admitted. "I know what Eris is planning. She used magic to choke me and is intending to do worse to Camelot. But no one would believe me, so I thought _you_ would."

Morgana didn't seem surprised. "I knew she was up to something," she whispered. "We have to do something to stop her, right?"

Merlin shook his head. "She threatened to kill Arthur if I tried anything."

Morgana frowned. "Then what do we do?"

"We have to try to convince _someone_ that she's evil."

"But who? Surely if she has even Gaius's trust, Uther will never believe us," she sighed.

"We have to try," he said, thinking hard. "Maybe if we somehow got some iron on her, her powers will be weakened. Then if we fail, she'll be too debilitated to attack Arthur or Camelot. It will also buy us enough time to come up with a backup plan."

Morgana nodded. "That sounds good. Now, we just have to find something with iron that definitely won't come off of her," she added, a little unsure.

"Leave that to me," Merlin said and rushed out of the door.

He headed down to the dungeons, easily slipping past the guards and to one of the cells. He focused on the iron shackles on the wall and uttered a spell.

" _Separata et remota_ ," he whispered, eyes flashing gold and the shackle was cut from the wall and floated to him.

Merlin grabbed it before looking around and casting another spell.

" _Venustatem infinitam_ ," he muttered, the ugly iron shackle transforming into a beautiful silver band.

He grinned and hurried back to Morgana to show her the accessory. At first, she seemed doubtful that the silver band was iron until Merlin explained that he forged some of the metal into it before hand. Because you never know when an evil sorceress is going to try to destroy Camelot.

"Give this to Gwen to give to Eris as a gift, or whatever reason you see fit," he advised, handing it to her. "But I warn you. Never try it on. It is meant _only_ for Eris."

Morgana nodded and carefully took the bracelet and laced it into an elegant jewelry box. They then sat and pondered a plan to convince the king of Eris's malice.

For hours they contemplated ideas that seemed to end in failure. They struggled for awhile longer until Morgana abruptly interrupted their thoughts.

"Tonight is the ball where we celebrate the last day of King Alrec's visit," she remembered. "Arthur will be with Eris all night. If we can somehow get her to reveal her vice to him, he'll have no choice but to confront the king about the matter!"

Merlin grinned. "That's perfect!" he said. "But we're going to need more than an iron bracelet to weaken her."

Morgana nodded, standing up. "Gwen should be here soon. I'll have her take the band immediately. You try to find out more about her."

And then they parted.

Merlin was standing behind a wall near Eris's chambers, waiting for her to leave. He had cast an enchantment of concealment upon himself so he wouldn't be noticed, but still he shrank back behind the stone wall as Lady Eris emerged from her chambers. As soon as she was out of sight, he crept to her door and unlocked it with a muttered " _recludo_ " before stepping inside. He's been there several times before, but this time he knew what he was looking for.

" _Invenire evidentiam malitose_ ," he whispered, his magic seeking out any evidence of her vice.

Merlin eventually found a black book hidden magically in a niche by her bed. He pulled it out and found the pages blank. He then tried several charms to try and reveal any writing, but was disappointed when he was unable to do so. Not wanting to raise suspicion, he returned the book to the niche before concealing it once more and started for the door. He didn't get far before he tripped over a tapestry that had fallen to the ground in his search. Merlin stood up with a wobble when he noticed the pole that was holding the piece of embroidery looked suspiciously peculiar. He touched the pole with curiosity, eyes widening when he recognized it as a magic staff.

The manservant removed the staff from the tapestry, looking around for something to replace it. He ran to the fireplace and picked up a rather long slab of wood, using her magic to transform the slab into a duplicate of the magic staff. He inserted it in place of the staff on the tapestry and quickly put it back on the wall, leaving the room afterwards.

Merlin's heart raced as he sped down the corridor, the staff clutched tightly to his chest. Being stealthy was not one of his best skills, but the experience had been exhilarating. Feeling more confident about the plan to expose Eris for who she really was, he returned to Gaius's tower with a slight skip to his step.

It was soon time for the ball and Merlin had gotten someone else to serve the conceited bunch of nobles that chatted and waltzed around the room. The manservant had hidden the staff in an ugly yellow cloth and carried it behind his back. He scanned the room for a certain prince and evil sorceress dancing around rainbows of suits and dresses. He shuffled along the wall, searching still, when he heard a familiar tinkling of a laugh. Eris and Arthur were shamelessly flirting behind one of the podiums and Merlin felt his grip tighten around the staff. He took a step forward but froze when he noticed how their mood seemed to become more serious and Arthur took her hand, brushing her knuckles with his thumb as he reached into his pocket for something. He was going to propose.

 _Now_ , Merlin told himself, forcing him to move toward the couple. He struggled with every step, heart aching as he drew nearer. The two soon noticed his presence and turned to face him. Arthur seemed rather annoyed by his interruption and glared at him.

"What is it, _Mer_ lin?" he grit his teeth.

The manservant took a deep breath, glancing at the silver band on Eris's wrist before suddenly feeling very confident.

"Lady Eris is not who she says she is," he accused.

Arthur stared at him, disbelief written all over his face. " _Really_?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes. She's an evil sorceress! She used magic to choke me and look-" he showed him the item he had taken from Eris's chambers. "-she has a magic staff, too!"

Arthur turned to look at Eris who gave him a sad expression. "I-I'm sorry..." she whispered, eyes watering. "I just... I didn't know that Merlin disliked me so much as to make up such a... _dreadful_ story."

The manservant spluttered in denial. "I didn't make it up, I swear!"

"Merlin, _shut up_ ," Arthur growled as he tried to comfort the sorceress in his arms.

Eris looked up at him with a trembling lip. "I promised Merlin that I wouldn't say anything because I thought that we could be friends... but I suppose I was wrong," she took a shuddering breath. "He's a sorcerer. I saw him use magic to break into my chambers earlier today."

Arthur's eyes widened, turning to his manservant, his expression morphed to one of utter betrayal. "Is this true?"

Merlin's mouth opened and closed, wanting to deny the fact but knew it would be useless. He swallowed down a sob and threw the staff to the ground, running out of the room.

"Merlin!" the prince called after him.

The manservant ignored him, instead running back to Gaius's tower. He hastily packed his things, throat burning as he fought back his tears. Outside his window, he could hear guards searching for him. Gaius's door downstairs opened and he heard footsteps coming towards his room. Merlin grabbed the last of his things and made for the window. If he used his magic, the impact of the fall should be lessened. As he rested his foot on the sill of his window, the door burst opened and the guards commanded him to halt. Merlin never was good at following directions. He jumped out of the window and his eyes flashed gold, teleporting him to the ground. He fell to his knees momentarily, ears ringing from the abnormal use of magic and he staggered into a run. He heard the warning bells' muffled sound and the gate began to close. Merlin pushed his legs further and once again used his magic to teleport him into the lower town.

He landed in a pile of hay, the ringing in his ears increasing. He stopped moving and waited for the pain to subside before limping away into the forest. Merlin could hear the knights coming after him, barking out directions. Fear consumed him and he froze. He felt his magic buzz and something was happening, but he was too distracted to know what. He couldn't move his body-he was paralysed. The knights appeared from behind the trees and he realized that he was in the open. Still unable to move, he watched as they drew nearer. But to his surprise, they walked straight passed him.

Once the knights left, he became more aware of his surroundings and realized that... he was inside of a tree.

x


	3. Chapter 3

The castle went into a chaotic panic when the warning bells sounded. The king was furious when he learned of Merlin's "treason". He ordered the knights to continue their search until the former manservant was brought to justice. Morgana was furious with Uther, Arthur, _and_ Merlin. The king and prince shouldn't condemn the boy to death when he hadn't done anything wrong, and she was upset with Merlin for not telling her sooner about his magic. Gaius felt nothing but regret. He knew that Merlin was careful enough to not use magic around anyone to give himself away, and after all of this, his accusations against Lady Eris seemed to make more sense.

But Arthur, that damned idiotic prince, he didn't know how he felt. He knew he felt a little angry that Merlin hadn't trusted him enough to believe that he wouldn't tell his father about his magic. Of course he wouldn't. And he hadn't. It was Lady Eris who had solemnly reported the incident to the king while Arthur was still recovering from his shock. The prince also felt worry, worried that Merlin was going to get caught and killed. Worried that Merlin wasn't going to survive on his own. Worried that he'll never see him again. Arthur was afraid to put a name on the feeling he felt for his manservant, but subconsciously knew that it was somewhere along the lines of love. But most of all, he felt guilt. When he could have stopped his father from sending out those guards and _protected_ Merlin, he didn't. Arthur could never forgive himself after that.

Merlin took a moment to examine the predicament he had put himself in. He was stuck in a tree with only a small hole the size of his face to provide him sight of the outside world. It was getting dark and frankly, the idea of being trapped in a tree when it's pitch black and eerie was extremely unappealing. With a sigh, he used a spell to conjure an orb of light within the tree, leaning against its interior walls. He allowed himself to relax and he felt his heart ache still. He had failed and now Arthur hates him and Camelot is in danger.

It was then that Merlin let himself cry. Hot tears spilled from his eyes and a choked sob escaped his lips. He pressed the heels of his palms into his eyes as he trued to stop the flow of emotion. He wanted his mother there beside him, uttering soothing words of comfort. He wanted Gaius with him to give him a fatherly pat on his back and sigh wise proverbs that somehow console him. But most of all, he wished that Arthur was there, roughly teasing him in an effort to cheer him up. His sobs began to subside as he imagined being pulled into a warm embrace by his prince, gentle words of forgiveness whispered into his ear. With these thoughts in mind, Merlin fell asleep, tears still slipping down his pale cheeks.

When he awoke the next morning, sunlight shown through the hole in the tree and his orb faded. Merlin yawned and stretched, finding that the space inside the tree was a lot roomier than he had expected. He picked up his bag (which he had used as a pillow the previous night) and rummaged through it. As he searched it, he noticed that he hadn't packed any rations or food. Merlin's stomach growled and he put down his bag in dismay.

 _Snap._

The warlock looked up at the sound and quietly peered out the hole of the tree. A rabbit had bounced by his tree and was guilelessly sniffing around the ground. Merlin quickly shifted so he could reach the rabbit and uttered a spell. A ball of fire launched itself at the rodent and it caught fire. The rabbit hopped about furiously, attempting to extinguish itself before collapsing in front of Merlin's tree. The warlock whispered another spell and the fire disappeared. Merlin then tried to reach out and grab it, but found that he couldn't. Cursing under his breath, he looked around and found a pointy looking stick on the ground. He willed it to come to him and he caught it in his hand. he used it to stab the rabbit and pulled it towards him.

Once he finally got it, he decided that maybe living in a tree wouldn't be so bad after all.

It had been a week- _A WEEK_ \- since Merlin left. Arthur did nothing but mope about the castle, snapping at anyone who dared to serve him. He wanted to be out with his knights to search for his manservant but his father forbade it. Frustrated and angry, Arthur barely left his chambers anymore. And what he did in his time of isolation? He planned a means to escape and search for his manservant.

This frustrated Eris. Why wasn't the prince paying more attention to her? If she lost his trust now, then her plans to destroy this wretched kingdom will fail. She attempted to affront him several times already but was brushed off every time.

 _Fine_ , she thought one day, _if he won't come to me naturally, then I'll have to force him with my magic_.

Eris caught the servant who was bringing up the prince's food and casted a quick spell on his goblet of wine. Anxiously, she waited outside of Arthur's chambers, waiting only a few moments until she was sure that the prince had consumed his beverage. She then knocked on the door before letting herself in.

"My lord?" she inquired softly, peering into the room.

Eris glanced down at his table and frowned, mentally cursing when she found the food and drink untouched. Arthur stood by his window and stared out of it with a sullen expression. Eris took this as an opportunity to talk to him and strode to his side.

"Would you stop me if I told you that I was going to look for him?" Arthur asked suddenly.

Eris feigned ignorance and blinked up at him. "Look for whom, my liege?"

"Merlin, of course," he sighed, turning away from the window. "I plan to go out tonight to find him."

"But... sire, it's far too dangerous for you to go alone-"

"I won't be alone, I'll bring my most trusted knights, of course."

Eris bit her lip, appearing to be hesitant while she thought that this may help her plan.

"Very well... then I will not stop you," she conceded.

Arthur spared her a soft smile. "Thank you, milady," he said, pressing a chaste kiss to her cheek.

Arthur then turned and packed his things, reminding himself to take a visit to the kitchens before he left. Eris watched with pursed lips, hands folded neatly in front of her. The prince sent her one last grateful glance before exiting his chambers and walking to the kitchens. The second he was out of sight, Eris grinned villainously, eyes glinting.

The prince managed to pack some food without being asked too many questions. Afterwards, he made way to the training grounds. There, he found Leon sparring with a dummy, moving swiftly to dodge imaginary attacks.

"Leon," Arthur called, gaining his attention. "Come here."

The knight jogged to meet him, bowing his head slightly as he caught his breath. "Is there something you need, sire?" he inquired curiously.

The prince nodded and placed his hand on the other's shoulder. "Leon, as you know, you're one of the best and most trustworthy of my knights that I've the honor of having on my side," Arthur began. "And I trust you enough to take you with me."

"Where, sire?"

"We're going to find Merlin," he replied in a low voice.

Leon's eyes widened. "But why, sire? The king considers him a man of treason!"

"He isn't. Well... yes, he knows that the practice of magic is illegal, but I do not believe that he would do anything to harm, the kingdom," he said sincerely. "And I've realize my mistake in letting my father antagonize him. I'll bring him back and somehow convince my father that Merlin _isn't_ a sorcerer!"

Leon appeared skeptical. "Sire... I do not believe that the king's opinion can be swayed this easily."

Arthur sighed. "I know, but I can't afford to lose him..."

The knight sent him a sympathetic expression. "I understand, sire. I'll do what I can to assist."

The prince's expression brightened. "Thank you, Leon. We shall set out after lunch. Any inquiries can be dismissed with word of a hunt," he ordered.

And with that, they parted.

Merlin snored lightly as he napped within his tree. Two rabbits were cooking over a fire outside that he had conjured with a simple spell. Already was he getting tired of the same meal breakfast, luncheon, and supper. Occasionally, he shot down a goose in the air whenever he saw one. Soon, the smell of burning flesh snapped Merlin out of his euphoria and he awoke with a start. Hastily, he pulled his flambayed quarry off of the fire and safely into his lap. A small portion of the rabbit was charred, but that was his own fault.

Placidly, Merlin began to eat and stared longingly outside of the tree. He wondered what Arthur was doing right then, wondered if Camelot had been destroyed yet. The breaking of twigs brought the young warlock out of his reverie. Hesitantly, he peered out of the hole a little more and saw two armored figures in the clearing. Merlin quickly moved out of sight, his heart racing.

"Look over there, sire," a familiar voice said, footsteps coming nearer.

Nervously, he peeked through the hole again and saw Sir Leon and Arthur inspecting his diminished flame.

"This site was recent," the prince deduced, caressing the ashes. "Merlin shouldn't be too far from here."

The young sorcerer barely suppressed a gasp. Why was Arthur searching for him? Why had he only brought Leon with him? Were there others nearby? He didn't hear any... when Merlin tried to step back in fear, he forgot that he was, in fact, trapped in a tree. He stumbled and made quite the ruckus. Unfortunately, that did not go unheard.

Arthur turned abruptly in the direction of the tree and squinted at the hole. He scooted closer to peer inside and his eyes widened when he saw his manservant cowering in a wide space beyond the hole.

"Merlin?" he said in surprise.

 **x**


	4. Chapter 4

Merlin attempted to hide himself further within the tree. "There's no Merlin in here," he lied blatantly.

Arthur rolled his eyes and reached into the tree, hitting his manservant upside the head. "You idiot, what are you doing in there?"

Merlin rubbed his head with a frown and glared at the prince. "It wasn't my fault!" he paused. "Well... not entirely. A bunch of guards were chasing me around and I panicked."

"So... you decided to hide yourself inside of a tree?"

"It was an accident! My magic acted on its own!" he retorted, huffing.

Arthur rolled his eyes again. "Anyway, we've got to get you out of here."

Merlin's eyes widened. "What for? Are you going to turn me in?"

The prince winced at that, a guilty expression upon his visage. "No..." he sighed. "Look, I'm sorry about... blanching when I could'be helped. I have a sort of plan to get my father to believe that you're not a sorcerer so you can be safe in Camelot."

Merlin squinted. "A 'sort of plan'?"

"Well... I haven't really come up with the 'convincing' bit, yet. But I'm sure that if I explain to my father that this was just a big misunderstanding-"

"He won't believe you just like that, Arthur. There's got to be more than that!"

"Well, what else do you want me to do? Dress you up as a woman to sneak you into Camelot and reveal you to my father and profess my undying love for you because the king has _such_ a soft spot for youthful romance?" he exclaimed in exasperation.

Merlin blushed bright red and Leon coughed awkwardly in the background. "Sire, it's getting dark," he noted.

Arthur looked up and sighed at the sky, pinching the bridge of his nose. "We'll deal with convincing my father later. For now, we have to work on getting you out of that tree."

Leon stepped forward and procured an axe from his bag. "Will this do?" he inquired, handing the tool to the prince.

Arthur nodded, surprised by how prepared the knight was. "Thank you," he said before turning back to Merlin's tree. "Stand back."

The young warlock warily moved away as the prince struck the axe into the tree. "Merlin's eyes widened when the blade protruded centimeters away from his face. Arthur glanced at him through a gap.

"Sorry," he apologized, hastily removing the tool, pulling apart the bark to create a wider opening.

Arthur struck the tree a couple more times. Soon, the opening was wide enough for Merlin to fit through. He picked up his bag and climbed out of the tree. The moment he got out, Arthur pulled him into a tight embrace. The manservant blinked in surprise, mouth agape even when he was released. Arthur cleared his throat awkwardly.

"Ahem... anyway, we've got to sneak you back into Camelot," the prince reminded, turning away to hide his blush.

Merlin felt his cheeks warm as well, but he couldn't help the fond smile that spread across his face. Leon spectated with amusement before turning around, walking ahead. Merlin and Arthur followed behind, walking side by side. The two occasionally sent awkward glances towards one another on their journey back. Eventually, when night fell, they had reached the castle entrance and sneaked towards Arthur's chambers, hastily dodging any passersby that would recognize Merlin. They were soon safe within the confines of the prince's bedroom and they made sure to lock the door behind them.

Arthur sighed in relief before turning to Merlin. "Armor," he ordered, spreading his arms.

With a sigh, the manservant put down his bags and moved to remove the prince's armor. Leon resisted a snort of amusement as Merlin grumbled to himself and pulled off the chainmail. Arthur simply watched with a fond expression before becoming serious.

"You are to hide whenever Leon and I are not in the room. You can only come out when we say it's safe. At night-" he paused, clearing his throat to hide his embarrassment. "-I don't mind sharing a bed."

Merlin blushed and Leon pointedly stared at the walls. "Er... that's alright, sire," the manservant mumbled. "I don't mind sleeping on the floor."

"I'll have none of that. Besides, the floor is _extremely_ uncomfortable," Arthur insisted.

Leon coughed awkwardly. "I'll... um... just dismiss myself-"

There was a knock at the door that caused them all to freeze.

"My lord?" came the familiar voice of Lady Eris.

Merlin hurriedly dove under Arthur's bed and the prince went to answer the door. "Lady Eris," he greeted casually. "Is there something I can help you with?"

The sorceress rose a brow curiously before shaking his head. "I just wanted to see if you were alright and to... you know..." she gestured to him. "See if you had left in search for you manservant."

Arthur sent her a strained smile before nodding. "Yes, yes, of course... er... unfortunately we were unable to find him," he lied.

Eris appeared sympathetic. "I'm sorry to hear that, sire. I hope you find him soon," he said before bowing and leaving.

The prince nodded in thanks and closed the door. Merlin emerged from underneath the bed and regarded his prince with curiosity.

"You lied to her," he stated with surprise.

"Yes, of course I did," Arthur scoffed.

"But... I thought you trusted Eris?"

The prince bit his lip, looking away sheepishly. "I knew you didn't like her very much and I had a feeling that you'd get upset if I had told her," he said, embarrassment evident.

Merin's heart fluttered at Arthur's consideration, a blush coloring his own cheeks. Leon looked between the two awkwardly and promptly excused himself from the room. Another moment passed before the silence between prince and manservant was broken and they returned to their usual routine.

"Polish my armor," Arthur ordered, handing over the metal accessories with his usual smug expression.

Merlin merely squinted at the prince before moving to pick up the pieces, seating himself in front of the fire. "After all that, and you're still an incorrigible prat."

Arthur chuckled, unfazed before seating himself at his desk, looking through some important documents. "You'd better be quick, a servant will be coming with supper soon," he warned. "And no, you may not use your magic."

Merlin sighed and rolled his eyes, working on scrubbing off the grime on the armor. He could tell that it was going to be a long night.

Eris sat in her room, looming over a metal bowl of water, peering at her reflection with a malicious gaze. Her green eyes glowed and the liquid bubbled, the sound of whispers and wails echoing from the bowl.

"Worry not, my children," she spoke in a foreign tongue. "Soon Camelot will be in ruins and you'll be free again!"

A chorus of ghostly cheers sounded and Eris rejoiced in the symphony.

Merlin awoke to the light from the window shining upon his face. He hummed contently and rolled over on his side. He didn't remember his bed being so warm and comfortable. And he felt something rather bony resting over his hip. he peeked an eye open and found a half-naked Arthur spooning him, eyes closed and expression content. Merlin spluttered, face burning in embarrassment, promptly throwing himself off the bed.

The prince woke with a start, sitting up in surprise, going for his sword. "What? What's wrong?" he exclaimed, looking around for any danger.

The manservant covered his blushing face with his hands as he curled up on the floor. "Why the _hell_ were you... _CUDDLING_ me?"

Arthur lowered his sword, a bewildered expression upon his face. "What? I wasn't cuddling you."

"Yes you were! Your arms were wrapped around me like I was your _pillow_ or something!" he spat, seeming horrified.

The prince appeared indignant, his face flushing. "Well- it's your fault for stealing the blankets in the middle of the night! I needed _something_ to keep me warm!" retorted.

The two continued to bicker, hiding how they really felt about the prospect of sharing a bed. They both were so engrossed in their argument that they failed to notice the wary presence outside of the door. Tentatively, it opened and entered a familiar handmaid carrying breakfast.

"My lord?"

Arthur and Merlin froze, the latter diving under the bed and the farmer positioning himself to appear nonchalant. "Good morning, Guinivere," he greeted, obviously forgetting about his half-nakedness.

The handmaid blushed and set down the tray of breakfast. She scanned the room for a moment before furrowing her brows.

"Wasn't there..." she trailed off, squinting.

Arthur rose a brow. "Is something wrong?" he inquired with false innocence.

"I thought there was someone else in here," she replied with confusion. "Who were you talking to?"

The prince paled. "Er... no one. Just... myself."

Gwen appeared skeptical before nodding and dismissed herself. Arthur sighed in relief and Merlin crawled out from underneath the bed. He felt a little guilty about hiding from his friend, but he knew he didn't really have a choice.

"How much longer am I going to need to do this?" he sighed, taking a seat at the table and helping himself to some exotic fruits.

Arthur took his seat across from him, holding his head in his hands. "Hopefully, we'll figure out a plan to fix this mess and everything should return to normal."

Merlin couldn't resist a roll of his eyes as he chewed on some mint leaves, slouching in his seat. The prince failed to hide his amusement and joined in his feasting, plucking a grape off its stem and popping it into his mouth. Little did they know, the placid atmosphere wouldn't last long.

 **x**


	5. Chapter 5

**I** n a dark room deep within the catacombs of Camelot, a figure stood among the tombs of nobles and previous kings who had died. The figure whispered words in a foreign tongue, their eyes glowing bright green and the goblet in their hand bubbled and hissed, an eerie mist flowing over the brim.

"It is time, my children," the figure-Lady Eris-announced in a chorus of voices. "Feast on the souls of these humans. Create _chaos_."

5 lights flew from the goblet and escaped to the world above before it exploded, causing Eris to screech and curse in fury. The silver band on her arm glowed and she glared at it.

"You will pay... Merlin," she growled and lightning struck the palace.

It was late in the evening and Merlin was helping Arthur into his bedclothes when they heard a terrified shriek. The two looked at each other before running to the source, the prince grabbing his sword on their way out. They ran to the courtyard to find large ethereal lights taunting the people below and smashing into the castle. People screamed and ran about in a panic, grabbing their children and rushing past the gates.

"Stay back," Arthur warned, pulling out his sword and preparing to attack.

Merlin frowned. "I'm staying right here," he argued, readying himself to use his magic.

The prince sighed. "Fine, just try not to get yourself noticed by anyone else," he advised, slashing at a light that swooped down to them.

His manservant's eyes glowed gold as he helped deflect the blow. And in the midst of the chaos was Lady Eris. She laughed manically as she chanted a spell, looking directly at Merlin. Arthur soon realized what was happening and moved to intercept the spell, but he was too late. A bright ray of light hit Merlin square in the chest.

"No!' the prince yelled, rushing to him to catch the manservant as he fell. "Merlin-"

The young warlock gasped in pain, unconsciousness taking over his body. Arthur cradled his face with his shaking hands, not noticing how time seemed to slow around them. The prince whispered his manservant's name again, worry and grief evident in his voice. Arthur pressed a kiss to Merlin's temple and suddenly, there was a glow of light before them. He looked up quickly, looking at its brilliance when a woman emerged from it.

She was beautiful. She had long blonde hair and gentle brown eyes. Her skin was fairer than a soft sheet of snow and her dress was just as radiant as the sun.

" _Arthur Pendragon_ ," her harmonious voice sang. " _I apologize deeply for my sister's unforgivable behaviour._ "

The prince squinted, confused. "Who are you?" he inquired curiously.

" _I am the goddess Concordia. My sister, Eris or Discordia, has caused you great trouble. I've cast her and her children into Tartarus where they cannot disturb anyone for a long time,_ " she assured. " _But is there anything that I can do for you to earn your forgiveness?_ "

Arthur was about to tell her that there was nothing to forgive when he felt Merlin stir in his arms, he looked down at the warlock and bit his lip. "Actually..."

Merlin groggily opened his eyes to find that it was morning. The sunlight shone through the window and illuminated his surroundings. The young warlock noticed that he was laying in his own bed back in Gaius's tower. He squinted, confused. But when realization hit him. he leapt out of the bed and down the stairs.

"Gaius!" he exclaimed. "Gaius!"

The old physician was setting down their breakfast and he sent Merlin a disapproving look. "There's no need to shout, my boy," he said gently.

"What happened? Where's lady Eris? No-where's _Arthur_?" he asked hurriedly.

Gaius gave him an odd look. "I'm afraid that I don't know of a Lady Eris. But Arthur is most likely waiting for you in his chambers, as he always is," he replied.

 _What?_ thought Merlin. _Had that all been a dream, then?_

In a frenzy, he fled from the tower and to his prince, bursting through the doors. "What's going on-?"

Arthur, who had been patiently sitting at his table, held up a hand to interrupt him. "I'm glad that you're feeling better now, Merlin. I was afraid that I had lost you to that nasty blow to the chest."

The manservant blinked. So... everything hadn't been a dream? Then why...

"Why doesn't anyone remember what happened?"

Arthur pursed his lips before sighing. "Why don't you have a seat first?" he gestured to the chair before him and continued. "After you had been knocked out, Eris-or Discordia's-counterpart stopped her terror and granted me a wish to earn my forgiveness."

Merlin blinked. "So you wished for everyone to-"

"-forget what happened, yes," the prince finished.

"But you still know?" About my magic and everything?"

"You have magic?" Arthur gasped, eyes widening.

Merlin froze for a moment before glaring at the prince who began to laugh. "I see that you're still a prat."

"You love me anyway," Arthur teased before pausing.

Merlin's eyes widened and he blushed bright red, the prince soon following suit. "Er... I mean," he stammered, but stopped when his manservant pressed a shy kiss to his cheek.

"I think we should come upon an agreement of no more secrets," Merlin suggested, then adding: "sire" to the end of his statement.

Arthur coughed awkwardly to hide his embarrassment before nodding. "Yes, that sounds most appropriate," he complied.

The two looked at one another before bursting into a fit of laughter. Once they calmed down, Arthur held his manservant close to him and sighed heavily.

"I'm glad you're back, Merlin," he whispered affectionately, nuzzling the other's hair.

The young warlock was taken aback by the gesture, but soon returned it wish a smile. "As am I."

 _ **fin**_ **.**


End file.
